Dubai chapter examples
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Our past can lay the foundations for our future, but it does not necessarily define us if our story is ongoing. The contributions to public, private, performance and commercial art that Jon has successfully made in the Middle East are too numerous to show and the context within which these works were produced, an artificially made and controlled environment with consumer culture, and commercialism at its core, is literally worlds apart from the setting that forms the backdrop for the works he is now engaged in. The authentic natural beauty of the Highlands, where community, pride, practicality, necessity & weather are more likely to guide a person's decisions than image.
The images on this page are diverse, yet only a small representation of the variety of works, designs, materials, skills and methods that Jon feels incredibly fortunate and grateful to have been able to apply during what we shall know from herein as the Dubai Chapter.
They offer a little glimpse into the past ………
Years ago it roamed free in many areas of the Arabian Peninsular, playing its part in the natural balance and eco systems that our world then allowed. Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordon Israel and Egypt are noted as some of the countries where it made its home. In the United Arab Emirates it is said to have wandered in the mountainous areas of Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Wadi Wurayah, Jebel Hafeet and Al Hajar.
Previous reports suggest there may be less than 200 of these animals left in the wild.Persecution from man, destruction and loss of habitat, prey depletion caused by unregulated hunting and trapping for the illegal wildlife, fur and animal skin trade, has all had its impact. Those animals that remained, were severely fragmented and isolated from each other, all adding to a continual decline.
Despite all this it is thought there may still be, isolated animals in Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
While man has been the primary instigator of The Arabian Leopard’s decline, man is also becoming the architect of its future and survival. There are many caring individuals and organisations that are not merely talking about the Arabian Leopard’s plight but leading by example, with successful captive breeding programmes and projects, and even plans for the reintroduction of the leopard, back into controlled and protected wild areas.
If you are interested to know more, an online search for such programmes and projects underway in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman, may inspire you to explore what you can do, to both support and raise awareness for the preservation of wildlife on our planet.
Dubai chapter examples
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